British regimental number research. First World War research. Military research. British Army regiments. Regimental numbering sequences between 1881 and 1918. Regimental number series. Other rank prisoners of war 1914.

Pages

27 November 2009

My data for certain periods between 1881 and 1918 is a little thin for the Military Police and so, for the purposes of this post, I'm going to use September 1914 as my starting point.Service records for all of the following numbers survive in the WO 363 (Burnt Documents) and WO 364 (Pensions) series at the National Archives in Kew, London. These records can also be viewed on-line via Ancestry.co.uk which is currently offering a FREE 14 day trial.The Military Mounted Police was formed in 1877 and the Military Foot Police in 1885. Although the two regiments were distinct, to all intents and purposes they functioned as a single organisation and shared the same number series.Two series of numbers were used from 1908. Series one was used for the Military Foot Police (MFP) and the Military Mounted Police (MMP). Series two was used for the Military Foot Police Special Reserve and the Military Mounted Police Special Reserve. All numbers were prefixed by the letter P/ and it is common to see the ranks of the Military Mounted Police filled with men who had previously seen many years of service with a cavalry regiment.MFP and MMP (series one)P/65 joined on 6th September 1914P/239 joined on 6th October 1914P/514 joined on 3rd November 1914P/710 joined on 15th December 1914P/802 joined on 11th January 1915P/1425 joined on 31st May 1915P/1564 joined on 11th June 1915P/1826 joined on 6th July 1915P/2054 joined on 6th September 1915P/2254 joined on 3rd November 1915P/2635 joined on 13th December 1915P/2919 joined on 5th January 1916P/3011 joined on 9th February 1916P/3041 joined on 24th March 1916P/3052 joined on 3rd April 1916P/3133 joined on 26th May 1916P/3160 joined on 6th June 1916P/3393 joined on 7th July 1916P/3549 joined on 1st August 1916P/3790 joined on 27th September 1916P/4964 joined on 22nd November 1916P/5832 joined on 6th January 1917P/7921 joined on 18th February 1917P/9147 joined on 9th March 1917P/9917 joined on 23rd April 1917P/10548 joined on 8th May 1917P/11111 joined on 26th June 1917P/13591 joined on 12th December 1917P/15426 joined on 8th February 1918P/15839 joined on 18th July 1918MFP and MMP Special Reserve (series two)My data for this series only extends between September and November 1914 and, if the infantry regiments are anything to go by, it seems probable that by the end of 1914, this number series had been abandoned.P/79 joined on 8th September 1914P/536 joined on 6th October 1914P/547 joined on 3rd November 1914I've borrowed the image on this post from the East Brighton Bygones website. It depicts 4469 Sgt Harry Coverdale of the MMP. His number indicates that he joined the MMP in late 1916 and he had prior service with the 16th Lancers.I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.

19 November 2009

Mike and Wienand, welcome. Thanks for following this blog.Three weeks ago I published a post on six digit number anomalies in the 19th and 24th Battalions of the London Regiment; anomalies in the sense that sequential numbering is awry. I've just added to that post with anomalies in six digit numbering in the 9th and 15th Battalions of the London Regiment.I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.

15 November 2009

This post will look at numbering in the regular battalions of The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) between 1881 and August 1914. The regiment was formed in July 1881 from the 3rd (East Kent - The Buffs) Regiment of Foot.There are over 49,000 Buffs (East Kent Regiment) service and pension records (for this regiment - and its antecedents) in
various War Office series held at the National Archives. Clicking on the link
will take you to the results on Findmypast but you will need a subscription or
Pay-Per-View credits to actually view the records. Some of these records can also be viewed on-line on Ancestry although Findmypasthas by far the most comprehensive collection of British Army service records.96 joined on 15th December 1881364 joined on 2nd March 1882749 joined on 20th January 18831178 joined on 17th January 18841668 joined on 4th April 18852055 joined on 7th March 18862207 joined on 25th January 18872643 joined on 26th October 18882752 joined on 1st January 18893100 joined on 23rd April 18903419 joined on 21st February 18913818 joined on 10th May 18924162 joined on 21st February 18934536 joined on 18th May 18944810 joined on 3rd May 18954991 joined on 24th March 18665172 joined on 4th January 18975570 joined on 28th April 18985964 joined on 31st May 18996407 joined on 27th September 19006624 joined on 13th May 19016802 joined on 11th February 19027662 joined on 9th September 19038000 joined on 12th September 19048179 joined on 17th October 19058206 joined on 17th January 19068474 joined on 19th March 19078990 joined on 18th November 19089115 joined on 22nd February 19099192 joined on 11th January 19109553 joined on 31st March 19119794 joined on 14th May 191210013 joined on 16th May 191310118 joined on 13th February 191410247 joined on 24th August 1914By the time 10247 joined The Buffs, Britain had been at war with Germany for nearly three weeks and volunteers throughout Britain had been flocking to recruiting offices. The Buffs did not extend the number series above to men joining its new service battalions. Those volunteers who enlisted for war-time service only, were issued with numbers from a new series which began at 1 and was prefixed with G/. Men who, during the war, continued to enlist under regular 7&5 terms, were issued with numbers in continuation of the series above. Their numbers were prefixed with the letter L/.Thus, for example, L/10356 joined up for seven years with the colours and five on the reserve, on 13th December 1914. Had he joined up for war-time service only, his number would have been in the high 4000s or low 5000s and would have been prefixed with G/. The Royal Sussex Regiment and The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment, also adopted the same numbering policy regarding war-time only recruits and those men who wished to forge a career in His Majesty's Army.I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.Further ReadingHistorical records of The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) 3rd Foot 1914-1919

This from The Naval & Military Press:

"During the Great War eight battalions of the regiment went on active service and another seven (including 1st Garrison Battalion) served at home. No less than 32,000 men passed through the ranks of the regiment of whom some 6,000 died; forty-eight battle honours were awarded and one VC.

"Appendices contain separate rolls of honour of officers and other ranks with names grouped alphabetically by ranks; all ranks list of honours and awards and foreign awards, and separate lists of Mention in Despatches. The 1st, 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions served on the Western Front, the 2nd Battalion in Macedonia with 28th Division following ten months in France and Belgium, the 1/4th in India and Aden, 1/5th in India and Mesopotamia and finally the 10th Battalion (formed in Egypt in Feb 1917 from two converted Kent yeomanry regiments) fought in Palestine and on the Western Front with 74th (Yeomanry) Division.

"Apart from one chapter describing the raising of wartime battalions and the initial disposition of the two TF battalions, and one on their affiliated regiment, the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, the chapters of this history each cover well-defined periods of the war in the various theatres in which the parts played by all battalions involved are recorded. The groundwork or skeleton is based on battalion, brigade or divisional war diaries, fleshed out by personal narratives and diaries provided by men who had fought and survived. Where possible, the names of the officers who became casualties in any action are given in the text after the record of the battle, but only the number in the case of other ranks. Again, wherever possible the recipients of honours (all ranks) have been named in the account as news of their decorations reached their battalion. A good history."

7 November 2009

I posted earlier today regarding a couple of cavalrymen. One of these men served in the 16th Lancers and purely by coincidence, whilst I was tidying up my files, I came across these photos of the memorial to the 16th Lancers in the Hosur Road, New Protestant Cemetery in Bangalore.This memorial commemorates men of the 16th Lancers who died in the East Indies between 1865 and 1876, presumably the dates that the 16th Lancers were stationed in India.We often complain about vandalism in the UK and whilst graffiti and vandalism are not as common in India as they are in the UK, this memorial has suffered. These photos date to June 2005 and so the memorial may have been cleaned since then. I must pop back and have a look.I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.

Here are a couple of interesting pages from two cavalrymen's papers. You'll need to click on the images to be able to read them.Henry Charles Bunn (above) joined the 15th Hussars on 10th June 1896 and was issued with his first number: 3536. On 25th April 1901 he was posted to the 8th Hussars and therefore given a new number: 5323. On 5th January 1902 he was posted back to his original regiment, the 15th Hussars.

King's (and Queen's) Regulations stated that, "... If the soldier is transferred or discharged, dies or deserts, the number will not be given to any other soldier." There was no reason therefore, why Henry Bunn shouldn't have been given back his old number, 3536 - and he was.

In March 1906, having extended his service to complete twelve years with the Colours, Henry was posted again, this time to the 19th Hussars. His new number was 6203. Two years later, he extended his service again, this time to complete 21 years' service, and in December 1910 he was posted for a third time to the 15th Hussars. This time, he was issued with a new number because by now, the line cavalry were numbering by corps. Henry Bunn's new number was 6606.William Padfield (above) also joined the line cavalry in 1896. He was posted to the 16th Lancers on 12th October 1896 and given the number 4280. The following year, on 16th December, he was posted to the 12th Lancers and given a new number: 4325. A little under five years later, on 24th October 1902 he was transferred back to the 16th Lancers but unlike Henry Bunn, he was given a new 16th Lancers number: 4809.

So here we have two examples of cavalrymen both returning to a regiment they'd already served with (and prior to the 1906 change in regimental/corps numbering), one of these men being given back his old number, the other man being issued with a new number. I am at a loss to explain why there is this difference. Could it have anything to do with William being "transferred" whereas Henry was "posted"? I'd be interested to hear from anybody who has a theory on this.

Both men's records survive in the WO 364 (pensions) series at the National Archives and can be viewed on line via Ancestry.co.uk.I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.

Find your ancestor! Search 9bn records.

RESEARCH ASSISTANCE

"I'm really pleased with the work you have provided, it's been worth every penny and is an excellent service that I would recommend to anyone interested. Instead of just having a picture and a grave, it really feels like my great uncle George's war service has come to life. Thank you."

ANTIQUARIAN MILITARY BOOKS!

Military books for sale

RESEARCH SERVICE

"I’m impressed with the level of detail that you have found and your report provides a great summary of their contents, which would otherwise have been very difficult to piece together. When I last tried to track his records down I was told they were all lost."

I research soldiers! For help in tracing YOUR military ancestor, please visit the RESEARCH tab on this blog.

Follow this blog

SEARCH BRITISH ARMY PHOTOS 1850-1920

Search over 11.6m records. Add photographs.

On this site

british army regiments WW1 world war 1 first world war great war regimental numbers army numbers boer war enlistment dates british regiments british soldiers british forces war records army research british military history records volunteer service companies volunteer battalion territorial force TF military genealogy military ancestry ancestors army ancestry Victorian army queen victoria soldiers of the queen ww1 centenary military history blog

WW1 Medal Index Cards 1914-1920First World War campaign medal entitlement details for close to 5 million men. You'll find ALL of a man's regimental numbers indexed here. Ancestry's search is limited to the last number a man was issued with; a serious failing.

The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was born on 1st July 1881. The 1st Battalion was created out of the old 102nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Madras Fus...

Regimental Numbers

When did my relative enlist? When did my grandfather join up? On what date did he join his regiment?

A man's regimental number can tell you a lot about when he joined and even which battalion he joined. Note however, that there is a distinction between "enlisted" and "joined".

A man would generally enlist once - and be given a regimental number - or army number - on joining his regiment. If he joined another regiment he would be given a different number.

He could even be given a different number if he joined another battalion of the same regiment. In all probability this number would not be unique and could be repeated in many battalions and regiments throughout the British Army.

This blog aims to guide the researcher through the maze of regimental numbers issued by the British Army between 1881 and 1918.

The Army Service Numbers Database

The Army Service Numbers database is a database of British Army regimental numbers. This has been compiled from original sources, principally WO 363, WO 364, WO 96, WO 97 and WO 372 at the National Archives in London.

The database covers most units of the British Army which issued regimental numbers between the years 1881 and 1918: Infantry Regiments, Cavalry and Yeomanry, Royal Artillery and Royal Army Medical Corps.

What you will find on this blog is data from a far larger data set - generally one number per year up until 1914 and then one number per month from August 1914 onwards.

As general rules:

1. Army Service Numbers for regular battalions are uncomplicated and largely sequential up until 1914.

2. Numbering in the British Army becomes more complicated from December 1915.